Spirit of the Mountain
by Empress Akitla
Summary: The peace after Tai Lung's rage masked the legend of a lost species and a lost scroll. With a new threat in the form of a shadow attacking Shifu and the other kung fu masters, they are forced to face a dangerous path and the Legend of the Achiderrans.
1. Done Wrong

**So, I thought that I'd start writing a Kung Fu Panda story. Please don't kill me because I've been trying to work on two other stories as well.**

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**Master Oogway sighed as he turned away from the open doors. Snow flurried in from the blizzard outside, covering the bloody tracks of one of his students. Only a silhouette could be seen through the blinding snow, and that was disappearing as well. The old turtle used his staff to shut the doors of the Hall of Warriors.

"Master," a hoarse cry came from the dark.

Master Oogway turned to the pool, where a prone form was lying. Slowly, he approached the creature. He looked down at her sadly.

"Young one, I cannot help you," he said.

"But…I didn't do anything," she croaked, curling into a ball.

"Do not lie to me," Master Oogway scolded gently. "I saw what you did. Even though I do not condone what happened, you knew what was going to happen."

"Yes, I know," she choked on her own blood. "But it was my right and no one else's. I did what was right."

"No, child," he turned away. "You did not."

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**Incredibly short chapter. Please do remember to R&R though! :)**


	2. Shadows

**Yay! This chapter is much longer than the last one. Enjoy.**

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**A cool breeze whispered through the bonsai trees and tall stalks bamboo. The breeze brought the smell of rain from the mountains in the north, as it always did when it snowed on the high peaks. Golden-orange rays of the evening sun spread through the Valley of Peace as its habitants started to settle down for the night.

The Jade Palace was quiet, with no one stirring except a small red panda in the garden. He sat under a large bonsai tree, holding his flute to his lips. His large ears twitched as he heard thunder in the distance. Soon, the storm would hit and he would have to retreat inside. Right now, however, he was content to just sit in the fading sun.

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Inside the palace, it was not so calm. Po was concentrating very hard. His opponent could be anywhere. Anything could hide it from his sight. For over an hour, he had been locked in a vicious battle with this creature. It was faster than Monkey, more subtle than Viper, and smaller than Mantis.

"I know you're here," Po called out, hoping to draw out his opponent. If only he could see it then he could fight it.

There was a buzz. So small and faint was the buzz that no one else would notice it, but Po did. He turned on his heel, eyes scanning the table where the Furious Five and he had eaten. Nothing was visible, yet he could still hear the buzzing.

"You are very hard to fight for such an untrained warrior," Po commented as he backed up against a large window.

Lightning flashed outside, lighting up the room for a few quick seconds before it returned to the gentle glow of the lanterns. In those few seconds, Po had seen his opponent. Now the fight was on!

He leapt, taking up the pose of the crane. With his foot he kicked out, meeting nothing but air. Again and again he struck out, switching from feet to hands and back again. Finally, he hit his target. In a wild nosedive, the fly fell out of the sky and landed on the floor with an inaudible thump.

"Gotcha now!" Po gently pinched the fly's wings together. "Now, go out and stay out!"

He leaned out the window and set the fly on the leaf of a bamboo stalk, watching it take a crooked flight path out towards the garden. Rubbing his hands together in victory, he decided that since he had defeated his opponent he deserved a cookie.

As he started to walk towards the cupboards, he stopped cold. Turning slowly, he expected to see the fly having come back in. It was far more frightening.

"Ah!" Po yelped and tumbled back as he saw the shadow sitting on the wall outside. As he sat up he looked again, this time seeing nothing. Whatever it was, it was gone now.

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Master Shifu stopped playing his flute and looked up at the sky as lightning flashed. The storm had moved in faster than what he expected. A rain drop landed on his nose as thunder rumbled overhead in respond to the lightning. He stood up, twitching his ears towards the wall protecting the garden. Something seemed a bit off.

An arrow shot over the wall. Shifu jumped out of the way, letting the arrow bury its tip into the bark of the bonsai tree instead of him. He looked towards the direction in which it came; not really expecting to see a figure crouched on the wall. Though it was just a mere shadow he could see the bow strung around its back as well as a quiver of arrows.

"Show yourself!" He called out and took on a defensive stance.

The shadow took the opportunity of a nearby lightning strike to leap onto the slanted roof of the palace. Shifu rolled out of the way as another arrow shot down at him. He looked up, stunned to see an arrow already heading his way. Holding out a hand he easily deflected it so that it barely missed him.

As he looked back up at the roof, he caught the glance of vicious yellow eyes. The shadow stood up, roaring with fury. Before Shifu could even began a counterattack, the shadow jumped down into the bonsai tree and back onto the wall. Without hesitation it plunged over the ledge.

Shifu did not hesitate either. He jumped to the tree and pushed off onto the wall. Fog encased everything from the base of the wall down. There was no way that anyone could survive a fall from that height if they did not land right. He stared down into the oblivion, ears tilted forward and listening for any sound at all. The breeze ruffled his fur and swirled the fog, but besides that no noise was apparent.

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"Master Tigress, did you see that?" Po questioned, biting his claws.

"What?" Tigress furrowed her brow, confused why she had been assaulted with this question as soon as she walked through the doorway.

"That thing! It was big, and dark, and scary, and big…." Po continued on, basically just getting across that it was a big, scary shadow.

"No, Po! I did not see it," Tigress answered, stopping the panda's rant. She sighed, starting to walk the other way when Master Shifu came in from outside. "Master, is something wrong?"

"No," Shifu replied slowly, obviously thinking about something. "Just got caught in the rain."

Tigress and Po watched as the red panda limped to his living quarters, flicking water droplets from his ears. They shared a glance with each other before Tigress followed her master.

"Master," she said, stopping behind him.

"Tigress, nothing is wrong," Shifu stated before continuing forward. "You should not worry about it."

"But I am worried," Tigress pressed onward. She followed her master to his living quarters, standing in the doorway. "What's troubling you, Master?"

Shifu sighed, turning to look at his student. She was stubborn, like him. She stood motionless in between his room and the hall. He might as well tell her now, because she would keep on pressing later.

"Something tried to attack me," he finally admitted. "It dove over the edge of the wall before I got a good look at it."

"Po said that he saw a shadow on the wall," Tigress stated. "Could it possibly be the same one?"

"I don't know," Shifu said, crossing his arms behind his back. "It was shooting arrows. I have not seen any bandits use arrows in a long time."

"Neither have I," she crossed her arms in front of her, starting to rack her brain. "Who could it have been? I have not seen anything damaged or stolen from the palace."

"I don't know," Shifu sat down on a mat. "Just keep an eye out. I know you're fully capable of taking care of yourself but just be cautious."

"Yes, Master," Tigress bowed and exited out the door.

Shifu closed his eyes, meditating for the moment. Slowly but surely, he started to calm down and forget about the incident. He let the physical world drift away, being just in a realm of complete peace.

Instinctively, however, his ears rotated towards a noise in the rafters. The quiet scraping brought him out of his peaceful meditation just in time. He leaned back, an arrow narrowly flying over his head. Quick like a snake, Shifu turned to look upwards. He back flipped as the shadow reloaded and launched another arrow.

"Show yourself!" Shifu commanded, like he had done the first time. "Come out of the shadows!"

The figure jumped from one rafter to another, balancing on all fours. Suddenly it stopped, just crouching down for a bit. It took only a matter of seconds before it threw down a dagger.

Shifu deflected the sharpened metal and started to scurry up the columns holding up the roof. As the figure started to turn and run, he stopped right in front of it.

A dark limb rose into the air, slamming down hard at the red panda. He dodged and returned several attacks as the two fought on the narrow beam. Shifu cursed as his hand came in contact with something very hard on the shadow's face. Taking this as an opening, the shadow trapped the kung fu master with its claws.

Shifu stared up at the bright yellow eyes of the shadow, now completely aware of how huge it was; not only in size but in weight. The hand that was pinning him down was more like a paw belonging to some beast. Animalistic breath wisped from the shadow's opened mouth.

"Πέστε τη καληνύχτα," the shadow whispered.

"Now!" Tigress yowled as she and Viper attacked.

The shadow released its hold on Shifu, jumping over him and running for the window through which it had come in. Tigress landed on the rafter while Viper made sure the beast was gone.

"Are you okay, Master?" Tigress asked gently.

"Fine," Shifu stood up, looking towards the window Viper was slithering back through. "Did you hear what it said?"

"Yes, but I don't understand that language," Tigress replied.

"It was Greek," Shifu mumbled. "It said, 'say good night.'"

"Sounds like it was intent on killing you," Viper's voice floated up from where she was waiting down below on the floor.

"I didn't know you knew Greek," Tigress leapt to the floor, Shifu following.

"Only a small amount, enough to know what it said," he replied while starting to pace.

He spotted the dagger embedded in the floorboards. Something seemed familiar about it. Ever so carefully he pulled it loose, careful not to cut himself in case it was poisoned. He flipped it over, examining it carefully. No wonder it looked familiar.

"Look at this," Shifu handed the dagger to Tigress. "Look at that symbol."

"Is it Greek?" Tigress asked, handing it back to him.

"No, it's something different," Shifu said slowly, not quite sure of it himself. Only had he ever seen this symbol in scrolls and when Master Oogway would sketch it in the dirt when he would tell him stories. "This language is Achiderran, I think."

"I thought that was just legend," Viper said softly.

"I don't know, I thought it was too," Shifu pondered what it meant. He had to dig back through the legends Master Oogway used to tell him. Then the meaning became clear to him. "This symbol, it means 'spirit of the mountain.'"

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**So...tell me what you think. Please remember to R&R! Thanks for reading! :)**


	3. Legendary Master

**Here's chapter 3! Please enjoy. :)**

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**Snow blew in great drifts on the peak of the mountain. Below the sharp ledges and precarious cliff faces, the Valley of Peace sat. Fog and the blizzard obscured it from view, however. There was no possible way to see the village from this height.

A lone shadow sat at the mouth of a cave. There was a quiet humming, coming from the throat of the creature. It sat unmoving, perfectly balanced on a staff. Snow and wind ruffled its dark gray fur, blowing passed it into the entrance of the humongous cavern.

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"Wait, you mean we have to climb up the mountain in the middle of a snow storm?" Mantis shook his head. "This is not a good idea."

"I agree with Mantis," Monkey said, releasing the beam he was holding onto with his tail and dropping to the floor lightly.

"This could be very dangerous," Crane added in.

"Yes, I know," Shifu glanced at the dagger in his palm. "You six do not have to come with me. The path up there is fraught with danger."

"We will not leave you alone, Master," Tigress stated, her voice firm with determination.

"I'm with Tigress," Po jerked his thumb towards her. "But, uh, just how fraught with danger is the path? You know, so I can just be ready for it."

"According to legends there's jagged ledges and sheer drop-offs that you don't know are there until it's too late." Crane said, shifting his weight uneasily on his stilt-like legs.

"There're packs of wild wolves and snow birds so big they can carry a full grown panda off," Mantis added, hopping from the floor to Monkey's shoulder.

"Then there's the worst of them all," Monkey perked a brow. "There's the creature at the top of the mountain."

"Some say that it's a spirit," Viper said, starting to get into the telling of the legends.

"Others say it's a demon," Monkey added, biting his lower lip.

"It's neither, my students," Shifu interrupted, thankfully for Po who was about to pee his pants. "It, or so I hope, is a mortal being like us."

"What do you mean you hope?" Po questioned, turning to his master. "How much do you know about this…thing?"

Shifu sighed. "Not much aside from the legends. Master Oogway used to tell me that it was a student of his, a long time ago. Long before I came here."

"That was a long time ago," Po agreed. He grunted as the red panda smacked him with his staff. "Hey! It's not my fault that the truth hurts."

"As I was saying, you do not have to come," Shifu turned to each of his students. "I will leave in the morning and it will take me about a day to get up the mountain if the weather is kind."

"But what if that thing comes back to get you?" Viper asked as she positioned herself in front of her master.

"We're coming with you," Tigress again stated.

"You know that I can take care of myself," Shifu shot a pointed glare at the stubborn tiger.

"I know, Master, but I'd feel much better if we accompanied you," Tigress said gently. No, she would not say how her master had almost gotten beaten by the shadow. Yes, she would persist to go along with him in case he needed help. She knew he was fully capable of taking care of himself, but she was still worried. He was almost lost once after Tai Lung attacked.

"Alright," Shifu accepted her offer. "Be ready as soon as the gong rings."

"Yes, Master," all of his students bowed in honor as he left.

Po watched as their master walked out of sight, back to his room. He turned to the Furious Five before they could head back to their rooms. He had so many more questions to ask. He knew almost every legend that originated at the Jade Palace and a lot of the ones that did not. Everyone except this one he knew. Why had he not even heard a smidge of this one? He was going to find out.

"Hey, guys!" Po called out. The five of them turned around to him. "What's the story behind this legend?"

"Come with me," Tigress motioned for the panda to follow her as the others turned to go to sleep. She guided him to the room of scrolls, where numerous scrolls on anything and everything lined the shelves. "I think it's this one."

Po coughed as Tigress blew the dust from a scroll she pulled out from behind a dragon constructed of jade. The outside of the scroll was a bloody red with black and gold seemingly drizzled on it. Each end was made from amber, a very interesting medium to build anything out of. Encased in each chunk of amber was a black cricket.

"Wow, I don't think I've seen the ends of a scroll built out of amber," Po carefully took the scroll from Tigress.

"It's very special," she said. "I've heard that whoever reads it will become haunted by the creature. But, I haven't been haunted yet and I've read it."

"Are you sure?" Po asked before he even dared to open it.

Tigress gave him a look as she passed him to go to her room. Po did not know whether or not to interpret that as a look of 'I'm sure' or a look of 'I don't know.'

"Here goes nothing," Po shakily opened the scroll, seeing only Chinese characters printed on the faded paper. "Whew."

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**Please remember to R&R! :)**


	4. Legends

**And here's chapter 4! Enjoy!**

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**The morning came fast. Though no rays of golden sunshine spread across the valley, the gong did ring. As soon as it rang out, five of the students were at the ready and standing at the gates of the Jade Palace.

"Where is Po?" Shifu questioned, ready to get a move on so that they did not become trapped in the storm late at night.

"Perhaps he got too frightened to come?" Monkey suggested, shrugging his shoulders.

"I bet he stayed up reading that scroll all night," Tigress rubbed a hand down her face.

"You gave him the Scroll of the Lost Soul?" Shifu glared at her, quitting his pacing.

"He wished to know more about the legend," Tigress straightened up and answered promptly.

"Well, if he does not appear in a few moments, we'll leave without him," Shifu stated as he turned to the opened gates.

"Hey! Are you guys coming!" a voice called around the corner of the palace. The master and his students stepped out of the gates to peer around to see who had said that. "We won't make it if we don't get moving!"

"Po?" Shifu asked, starting to walk up the trail that lead to the mountain peak.

"C'mon guys," Po had a brown bag strapped to his back and a walking stick, looking completely prepared to climb the mountain.

"What's gotten into you?" Monkey questioned following alongside the Dragon Warrior.

"Okay, so I was reading that scroll last night and got really scared," Po said, excitement in his voice. "Then towards the end it spoke of how the creature used to create the most amazing food."

"Oh no," Tigress slapped her forehead. "Master Shifu, is this true?"

"I thought you had read the scroll?" Shifu briefly glanced at his student. "Yes, it is true. However, I don't know if it even still makes food let alone if it's even alive yet."

"Then why are we heading up there if you're not sure it's still alive?" Po questioned, pointing with his walking stick to the peak encompassed in fog and snow.

"Because I have a hunch," Shifu replied evenly. "That dagger had the symbol of the creature on it."

"The symbol of the 'spirit of the mountain' which was on all of the creature's weapons," Po stated, remembering details from all the reading he did the night before. "It labeled its katana with it."

"Master, I thought this creature was a student of kung fu?" Viper looked inquisitively up at Shifu as she slithered alongside him.

"Yes, one of the best, or so Master Oogway used to tell me," Shifu nodded slowly.

"Then why would a master of kung fu use a katana?" she asked.

"Not only was the creature a master at kung fu, but had excellent swordsmanship," Shifu replied quietly, searching through the many legends that Master Oogway had told him stored at the back of his mind. "It had mastered all of the thousand scrolls of kung fu, as well as many other skills."

"It sounds more like a character of legend than a real being," Tigress narrowed her amber eyes. "How could one master kung fu then still have enough life left in it to master several other skills?"

"According to legend," Po said from up ahead, "it was even older than Master Oogway."

"I don't believe it," Tigress said firmly. "I've known no other creature that has lived as long as Master Oogway."

"What species of creature was this master?" Monkey asked, slowing down to walk besides Tigress and Shifu.

"From what I can remember it was a feline," Shifu answered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"A tiger?" Tigress raised her brows.

"No," he shook his head.

"A snow leopard, then?" Viper asked.

Again, Shifu shook his head.

"Lion?" Monkey suggested.

Shifu shook his head yet again.

"Cheetah?" Crane said over his shoulder.

"Panther?" Mantis added in.

"Cougar?"

"Ocelot?"

"Tabby cat?"

"No!" Shifu held up a finger, silencing his students. "A rare species. In fact, it is thought to be extinct."

"Saber-tooth tiger?" Po asked, earning a smack from Tigress.

"Those really are extinct," she corrected. "Besides, it's properly said saber-tooth _cat_, not _tiger_."

"No," Shifu rolled his eyes. "The creature was thought to be one of the last of a race called the Achiderrans."

Everyone stopped dead in their tracks. Not even the wind whispered between them. The silence was so loud that it hurt. All of them had heard of the legendary race of Achiderrans but assumed that is all it was, a legend. Now, their master was telling them differently.

"But they weren't even normal creatures, Master," Monkey objected, his orange fur standing on end.

"They were monsters," Viper added in.

"No, they were not monsters," Shifu sighed sadly. "They were just misunderstood creatures. People lived in fear of them because they were bigger and different."

"Where did they come from?" Tigress asked quietly. She dug through her memories of the tales and legends, trying to grasp where the species had been thought to have originated. Nothing was coming to mind.

"They were thought to have came from the far south," Shifu replied slowly. "Africa and down in there."

"What would one be doing clear up in the mountains in China then?" Monkey questioned.

"They were driven from their homes," Shifu lowered his large ears, protecting them from the wind that had started to blow. "They hid amongst the mountains and places far out of reach from any other creatures. Still, many terrified villagers and even armies sought them out and destroyed almost every Achiderran. Even young ones were killed without reason."

"That's horrible," Viper whispered. "How come we've never heard this part of the legends?"

"Only Master Oogway knew the truth about them," Shifu replied. "He was the only one who had ever actually gotten to know one. In fact, he knew two of them. One was killed by the other."

"That's where the creature's legendary violent and bloody nature came from," Tigress pointed out.

"Yes, I suppose," Shifu thought for a few seconds before continuing on. "I always thought that Master Oogway was hiding something when he told the legend. He never said why one killed the other and he never spoke badly of either of them. The killer always sounded like it was the better master at kung fu and the better swordsman, though."

"Why is the creature always referred to as an 'it?'" Monkey asked.

"Master Oogway never gave it a gender when he spoke of it," Shifu shrugged his shoulders. "I think he was protecting it in fear that someone on the outside would find out and try to hunt down the creature."

"Makes sense," Po said over his shoulder.

"Oh boy," Crane's wings dropped as he slumped, looking up at the steep side of the mountain covered in at least four feet of snow. "This is not going to be easy."

"I never said it would be," Shifu was of a light enough weight that he could walk on top of the snow as could Mantis and Viper. "We must hurry or it will be dark before we reach the top of the mountain."

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**Please remember to R&R! It makes me happy! :)**


	5. Messenger

**So, here's chapter 5! It's kind of like a filler but it gives a little more insight to the mysterious shadow. Enjoy! :)  
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**The Jade Palace was quiet and lonely, its occupants having left nearly two hours ago. No people, save for a few geese and hog guards, were there which made it rather easy to get into.

Clouds had shrouded the small specks of sunlight that had appeared for only a moment. A heavy fog had set in, putting the remaining creatures' nerves on end. They were not deaf; they had heard the rumors of the mysterious shadow that had attacked the palace the night before. Now they all feared that it would come back while the kung fu warriors were not there to fend it off.

Zeng, the messenger goose, landed roughly at the closed gates of the palace. Two hogs nodded to him as he stood and brushed his feathers off. He looked up and realized that the gates were not open.

"I must speak with Master Shifu," Zeng stated, standing up straight with his feathers now in order.

"Master Shifu is gone," one of the hogs snorted.

"He, the Furious Five, and the Dragon Warrior started to climb the mountain this morning," the second one added in.

"Great, just great," Zeng shook his head in despair. "I was to report a message that a village in the Di Yu Mountain Range has been massacred. It happened about three days ago."

"There was a reason they called those mountains Di Yu," the first hog grumbled, turning his head away.

"Which village was it, Zeng?" the second guard questioned.

"The Huo Mao Village," Zeng replied sadly.

"That one's just over the pass from the Hey Long and Hong Shiong Mau Villages," the guard shook his head and snorted. "Those poor people."

"Only the one village was attacked," Zeng reassured. "The others were left untouched."

"Master Shifu is from one of the villages in the Di Yu Mountains," the first hog's eyes bored into the gray goose.

"Which one?" he squeaked out.

"No one knows," the second guard grunted. "Only Master Oogway knew, but beyond him I think that Master Shifu has kept it a pretty good secret."

"I hope that wasn't his village," Zeng said shakily.

Both hogs shook their heads. If it was the red panda's village then let peace be with the ones he knew. Nothing could be done now. Thunder rumbled overhead, threatening to release another down pour of rain. As the guards lifted their heads they could tell that guarding the palace would not be easy. Only shadows and blob like shapes were visible in the thick fog. It was so thick that it seemed as if you could cut it with a katana.

"Hey," one hog nudged the other.

In the fog a figure was becoming darker. It was upright like one of the kung fu warriors or a villager from another region, judging by its height. It was walking, taking calm and easy going strides. As it got closer the three noticed just how tall and muscled the creature was.

"Halt, who goes there?" the second guard commanded, raising his spear.

The shadow did not stop walking nor did it speed up. Its gait was steady and slowly it closed the distance between it and the guards and messenger. When it was a mere two yards away from them, it lunged forward.

In a mess of feathers, fur, and squeals from the hogs a fight erupted. It was short lived, however, when the shadow easily snapped the spears in two and sent the guards scrambling away. Zeng was left to sit up and be grasped by the throat.

As he was brought before the shadow's face, he had a quick relapse to the time when Tai Lung had held him in exactly the same manner. The eyes were a bright yellow with brown flecks in them, and currently had large pupils to see in the dim light of the storm.

"Is Shifu home?" the shadow asked, its lips pulling into a demented smirk.

"N-n-n-no," Zeng gulped. "He's up the mountain," he answered and pointed to the high, snowy peak that rose proudly behind the palace.

"Is he now?" the shadow, a male by the tone of its voice, had a slightly accented tongue. He spoke differently than the inhabitants of the village and its surrounding regions. "He actually went up to Shou Peak?"

"Yes, he did," Zeng nodded, twisting his head to gaze at the cloud capped mountain.

"He recognized the sign," the creature mumbled to himself. He turned his attention back to the goose, and bared his over sized saber fangs. "How long ago did he leave?"

"Uh…just this morning," Zeng stumbled for an answer. When the creature snarled he added, "Probably at the crack of dawn so they could make it before dark."

"_They_?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Master Shifu, the Furious Five, and the Dragon Warrior," Zeng said. He snapped his beak shut when he realized that he had just given away that the palace was completely unguarded by the seven kung fu masters.

"Is that so?" He smirked that wicked yet attractive smirk. He released his grip from the goose's throat, letting him drop in a heap to the ground.

Zeng scuttled back as the creature's long tail curled around him as he kneeled down so he was eye level with him. Now he could see the creature's face so clearly it was frightening. Black markings were under his eyes, which were masked in dark gray by a stripe that ran from the bridge of his nose to either side of his face. Large, tufted ears leaned forward menacingly as the silver whiskers mounted on his face twitched.

"Tell the survivors from the Huo Mao Village that I send my deepest apologies," he chuckled as he stood up.

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He stood in the Hall of Warriors, its slightly glowing floor reflecting on his gray pelt. The glow from the floor and pool made the black strips on his chest and back shine an eerie green. Casting his eyes from the numerous scrolls that were tucked away in the shelves surrounding the pool, he looked towards the golden dragon that hung on the ceiling. He knew that the Dragon Scroll had once sat delicately balanced in its mouth, but now that the Dragon Warrior had claimed it the dragon's mouth was barren.

With the agility that could be compared to Monkey or even Tai Lung, he scaled one of the carefully crafted columns up to the roof. He hooked his claws in the boards and slinked across them to the golden dragon.

He could only slink so far before the boards ran out. The golden dragon was still out of arm's reach but still within the reach of his tail. As the creature hung upside down, he stretched out his tail so that the tip rested on the golden dragon's mouth. Not wasting a moment longer he shoved as forcefully as he could, pleased when the mouth parted with a quiet hiss. A dragon constructed of jade on the floor opened its mouth with a similar noise.

"Finally, it's mine," he dropped down from the rafters and approached the jade dragon. He slid his hand passed its jaws into its open mouth. A small compartment big enough to hold a scroll was at the back of the throat. When he started to probe the smooth walls of the compartment, he realized with shock and horror that the scroll he was searching for was missing. "No!"

Cursing in Greek and a few other languages, he leapt onto the ledge of a window that faced the mountain. With his bow and quiver strapped around his back, he jumped onto a jagged rock and began to follow the trail that the kung fu warriors had taken.

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**If you were wondering about the Chinese names with the villages and the mountain range I'll tell you what they mean. Di Yu means hell, Huo Mao means fire cat, Hey Long means black dragon, Hong Shiong Mau means red panda, and Shou means beast. Anyways, please remember to R&R so I know what you think! Thanks for reading! :)**


	6. Snow Bird

**Here's chapter 6! That was fast! I'll get a break here soon and I'll be able to write more but for now it's just going slow. Enjoy!**

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**It had been hours. The group occasionally stopped, mostly so that Po could get a snack or rest. He may have been the Dragon Warrior, but he was still a chubby panda. As they climbed higher, the cold grew bitingly bitter and the snow became deeper. The sun had been cloaked out by ashen clouds and thick fog, and all of them sensed another storm coming. This time, however, it would be a blizzard rather than just rain and thunder.

They had climbed over a ledge that overlooked the Valley of Peace that would normally be visible down below. With the clouds and fog obscuring the valley from view there was no way to tell how far up they had come. The snow was so clean, save for an old tree or black boulders that stuck up here and there. All there was for seemingly miles around was white and gray. That is, until, crimson red appeared in the snow.

"I think we have a problem here," Crane shouted back to the group. He had been scouting ahead, looking for dangerous drop-offs and ledges when he had spotted the small body. "What was he doing clear up here?"

Shifu laid his staff aside, pressing two fingers under the small, spotted rabbit's chin. There was no pulse. He shook his head in disgust. Blood stained the snow all around the body.

"What did this?" Tigress questioned, averting her gaze.

"I don't know," Shifu whispered hoarsely. "Monkey, what do you make of those wounds?"

Monkey edged closer, looking at the two stab marks in the rabbit's chest. That was obviously what had killed the poor thing, but beyond that nothing else was noticeable. There were no defensive marks or even any signs of a battle.

"I don't know. Maybe a katana caused it?" Monkey shrugged his shoulders sadly.

"But why stab him twice? And they're perfectly side by side," Shifu pointed out. "And look closer, they're rounded rather than flat like a katana wound would be."

"But what the heck could've caused it?" Po questioned, his fur prickling up along the back of his neck. He gulped. "Do you think it was the creature?"

Everyone was silent, waiting for Shifu's answer. He grabbed his staff as he stood up. With one last look at the slaughtered rabbit, he started to scale the mountain side again.

"No, I don't think it was the creature," he finally answered. "But I do think that we should keep moving in case whatever it is comes back."

"But shouldn't we bury the body?" Tigress said, gesturing to the said body. "Shouldn't we at least give him honor?"

"We must keep moving," was the only answer.

"But, Master…." Tigress pleaded.

"Tigress," Shifu turned sharply. "If we do not reach the peak in time, I fear that entire villages could end up like this."

The others followed their master slowly, while Tigress walked in the back. Her shoulders slumped and her long tail drug in the snow, leaving a small trail. They really should bury the body to show honor for the poor little rabbit, but Shifu was right. If they did not find out what was going on more damage could be done.

* * *

Po panted, having fallen behind the group by a considerable distance. They had not stopped for over two hours. On the bright side, the snow was not as deep but rather only about a foot deep. When he had questioned Shifu about it, his master had simply told him that the snow beneath was frozen solid and only fresh stuff sat on top of it.

The light was fading, and soon it would be dark. Po turned his head upwards, searching for any sign of the peak. All there was to be seen was fog and more fog. He groaned, pushing on to catch up with the rest of them.

When he lifted his head again he realized just how dark it had gotten. In fact, it seemed as if it had gotten darker from the few seconds ago that he when he had last looked up. Was it getting dark that fast? He shrugged, knowing that the mountain had a mind of its own. To top it off, the wind had started to blow. It blew in a swirl pattern, like the few times when Po had stood under Crane when he landed. That's when his face drooped and he looked skywards.

"Oh jeez!" He jumped out of the way; face planting it in the snow a few yards off.

The others turned to look back down the mountain side. Every single one of their mouths dropped opened as their wide eyes beheld the sight of a great snow bird of legend. When Po looked at them and asked if they were frozen, they came around.

"Bring it down!" Tigress lunged, running on all fours.

Viper followed her swiftly while Mantis rode atop Monkey's back. Tigress was the first to reach the bird, immediately attacking its head. The bird turned and tried to snap its golden beak on her tail, but she was too fast.

"Run, Po!" Viper shouted, wrapping around the bird's heavily feathered legs and tripping it.

Po tumbled out of the way as the bird fell onto its chest. He started to run up the mountain, but paused. Slapping himself on the forehead, he ran back down to the fray.

"I'm the Dragon Warrior, duh!" Po jumped, his foot coming in contact with the bird's hard beak. He pulled away, clutching his foot, before the legendary creature could return the blow.

"Po, what are you doing?" Monkey questioned before sailing through the air as one of the bird's wings shot out from its body.

Po watched as the orange warrior landed in the snow about fifty yards off. He was content that Monkey was not hurt when an arm shot up out of the snow with a thumbs up and a, "I'm okay!"

"Viper, watch out!" Tigress yelled a smidge too late.

The snow bird flapped its free wing, easily throwing the snake off. Crane backed off a little, not able to get close with the flailing wing. Only two warriors were left still clinging to it. Standing up, it ruffled its feathers and spread its massive wings. A horrendous high pitched screech ripped from its throat as it flapped furiously, trying to rid itself of Tigress and Mantis.

"Hold on, guys!" Po called, starting his attack on the bird again. With a grunt he leapt into the air and kicked under the bird's chin.

With a gurgled screech, the bird turned its attention back to Po and started to snap at him. When he ducked and rolled out of its way, it copied him exactly. Not being prepared for it to roll on top of them, Tigress and Mantis released their grip and landed in the snow in a heap.

Po yelped as the bird snapped at him, missing his tail by a mere few centimeters. He was starting to get ahead of the feathered creature when an unseen rock beneath the snow tripped him. Rolling over, he came face to face with the sharp beak of the bird.

Just as it opened its mouth to take a chunk out of him, Shifu's staff came down hard on the bridge of its beak. It was effective, seeing as the bird immediately shut its mouth and reared up its head. Its brown eyes shifted and locked onto the newcomer.

"Go Po!" Shifu shoved the panda forcefully up with his staff. "Go now!"

He did not stop until he reached a high ledge that overlooked what could now be called the battlefield. When he looked down, Po could not believe what he was seeing. The snow bird was fighting with every limb on its body, wings and all. Shifu blocked several attacks with his staff and several others still with his arms. How the bird's strength did not break the small red panda, Po did not know. He watched mesmerized as the kung fu master and the bird of legend fought.

"We have to help him!" Viper said frantically, but was stopped by Tigress.

"He can take care of himself," she stated solemnly.

Shifu countered several attacks before the bird made a surprise move. With his staff securely in its beak and him still holding onto it, the talons on one of its feet grabbed him. It easily pulled the bamboo staff from his grip and raised its foot, holding him eye level with it.

"Master!"

Shifu swiveled his ears backwards, hearing the cries of several of his students. He stared straight into the large, glassy eyes of the bird. They were so clear that he could see his reflection. As he looked closer, he could see something else in the background coming up behind him. Swift like a snake, he bent backwards as far as the bird would let him. An arrow narrowly missed hitting him and instead embedded itself in one of the snow bird's eyes.

With a painful screech, the bird released Shifu and backed up. Blood ran from its now ruined eye, the arrow still lodged in it. It unfurled its wings and with a powerful downward push, lifted into the air. It left a swirling wind in its wake as it flew off in a crooked pattern.

Shifu retrieved his staff and dashed towards his students. He leapt, hooking onto an exposed rock in the base of the ledge the other six were on top of. Quickly, he jumped from rock to rock and gained height. He was about three yards from the top when another arrow was hurled at him. This time, there was no way to go to avoid it.

The red panda released his hold on one rock and leaned back. The sharp tip of the arrow nicked his arm and stuck in a crack in the rocks. Without waiting a moment longer, he finished scaling the ledge.

"Duck!" Tigress shoved Po down as a few more arrows came slicing through the air. She stood when she announced it safe, slowly followed by the others. "Master, are you alright?"

"It's just a scratch," Shifu stood up, his hand clutching his staff. "We should get moving before it gets dark or that thing comes back."

* * *

**Remember to R&R! It makes me incredibly happy! :)**


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